Vampires (吸血鬼)

Vampire stories go back thousands of years. The acts we now associate with vampires, such as rising from the grave and drinking blood, were popularized by eastern European stories.

Most early cultures created stories to explain things they didn’t understand. For example, hair and nails continue to grow after people die, which has already been proved possible by modern science.

These facts were unknown to most people in the 19th century, however. As a result, the legends surrounding such mysteries were kept alive.

Count Dracula

In 1897, Irish writer Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula was published, spreading the vampire stories to a mass audience. In the novel, the Count Dracula of Transylvania, a 500-year-old vampire, has drunk his country dry and must move to England in search of new victims. Dracula means “son of the dragon” or “son of the devil” in Romania.

Werewolf

The story of a half-man, half-wolf beast is as old as that of vampires, and almost as varied. In most werewolf stories, however, a beast would silently enter settlements at night and steal a young child or an animal.

The most common explanation of werewolf stories is that the beast was usually an ordinary wolf. The genetic disorder, which causes too much body hair, may also have helped to popularize the story.

Frankenstein

This is a fictional scientist created by British writer Mary Shelly in 1818. Dr Frankenstein lives in a castle and is so addicted to making living beings from parts of dead bodies that he refuses to marry.

The story of Frankenstein may have been planted in Shelly’s mind since she visited Castle Frankenstein in Germany, where an alchemist(炼金术士) tried to do experiments with the aim of making people live longer.

The Invisible Man

In HG Wells’ 1897 story, a young scientist called Griffin, manages to make himself invisible. But he cannot find a way to become visible again. He then wants to make use of his super power but finally has gone mad. Wells’ tale owes a great debt to Greek philosopher Plato’s book Republic.

The best title for this passage should be ________.

A. Origins of Ghosts   B. Tales of Horror       C. Exciting Stories       D. Science Fictions

The people in the 19th century did NOT know _________.

A. why vampires drank blood

B. why dead people rose from the grave

C. that vampires always kept their nails

D. that hair could continue to grow after people died

What do most of the werewolf stories have in common according to the passage?

A. The beast often silently entered settlements at night and stole a little child.

B. The werewolf was in genetic disorder and so had a lot of body hair.

C. An ordinary wolf would enter settlements at night and steal a child.

D. The beast was sometimes a half-man and sometimes a half-wolf.

Which of the following statements is right about Frankenstein and the Invisible Man?

A. They were produced based on the writers’ real experience.

B. They were the producers of science and technology.

C. They were not well suited to their surroundings.

D. They were folk legends in the writers’ homeland. 

All over Britain there are ruins of castles that reflect their entire past. Over the years, legends have focused on these castles.
Castell Coch
This castle was built in the 1870's. Lfor Bach was once the owner of this castle many decades ago, and it is told that he hid a treasure in the nearby tunnel（地道）. Rumors say that it is guarded by three eagles waiting for Lfor to return to collect his treasure.
Luffness Castle
In the basement(地下室) of this castle is a huge door leading to a room. The family kept this door open at all times, but one day the door was found locked and the key was missing. The whole family was surprised. The door was so big that it could not be broken down. One day the son of the family shone of a torch the door. He discovered that the key was on the inside of the room. To this day the door remains locked from the inside.
Toddington Castle
　　This castle was built during the 13th century. This castle has a local legend that tells about a witch who was put in prison within the castle and died. It is told that her spirit remains and if you put your ear to the floor at Easter, you can hear her cooking below.
Castell Gwynionydd
A legend rests on this castle that states the devil(魔鬼) was the one who built it. It is said the devil had a problem with some people and had planned on punishing them. On his way, the devil met a cobbler（修鞋匠）.The cobbler pointed out that it was still a reasonable distance until he would reach his destination. The cobbler displayed how many shoes he had worn out. Listening to him, the devil did not think his plan was worth so much effort and gave up his plan.
50．Which of the castles mentioned in the passage is said to be guarded by several birds?
A．Castell Coch.          B．Luffness Castle.      
C．Toddington Castle.   D．Castell Gwynionydd.
51．Which of the following castles is related to the legend about a witch?
A．Castell Coch.         
B．Luffness Castle.      
C．Toddington Castle.  
D．Castell Gwynionydd.
52．We can learn from the passage that          .
A．Castell Coch is said to be built by the devil
B．Castell Gwynionydd is a great place to celebrate Easter
C．Luffness Castle was once broken down
D．Toddington Castle dates back to the 13 th century

D

We all accept that sports should stress skill over luck，and fairness over privilege(特权)．

They should be accessible to many and fun to watch．In the end，a sport,s champion should re-

present shared values and served as a role model．

But with today,s advances in technology，the power of sports equipment makers offers great

opportunity for the athletes who have access to the latest technology.

In 2008,108 world records were broken in the sport of swimming．The average number of

world records set in swimming in all past Olympic years is about 22．The average number of

world records set in a non-Olympic year is about 5．Now there are no“old”world records．

Suit technology has been the most widely recognized difference．The sharkskin suit and the

“paper”suits were all made public by suit manufactures before the Olympic．

As records continue to be broken，the Internet message boards for the swimming community

have taken a darker view of suit technology．“Time is meaningless”is one quote．I tend to agree．Some of the times I see being posted today are simply legends(传奇)．

Am I against suit technology?Not really．But 2008 marked an unbelievable change in the

sport of swimming．People are saying，“Bigger，faster，stronger at any cost!”，wanting no limits on technology，either suits or drugs．I am not one of those people．

I am a guy that recognized the sport of swimming being as simple as man vs．water．It used

to be the swimmer in the suit，not the suit on the swimmer．How times have changed．

53．According to the first paragraph，it is a common belief that________.

A．only a few people have chances to take part in sports

B．the latest suit technology should not be used in sports

C．sports should be interesting for people to watch

D．luck plays an important role in Olympic Games

54．It can be learned from the passage that_______.

A．the author is against the latest technology in sports

B．the athletes have become more skilled than before

C．some records are hard to break without technology

D．advanced suits and drugs can be used in Olympics

55．What does“Time is meaningless”mean in the swimming community?

A．Breaking records in swimming is too easy for most athelets．

B．It,s technology rather than skill that counts in some records．

C．Many athletes break records by luck and taking drugs．

D．Some rules aren,t obeyed when Olympic records are broken．

56．What,s the author,s opinion of the present sports?

A．Latest technology should be encouraged in compitition among athelets．

B．Time should be measured in a different way in modern Olympic Games．

C．All of the athletes should wear the same suits to ensure fairness．

D. Competition in skill should come first instead of that in equipment。

One of the traditions which is now a necessary part of Christmas is that of Father Christmas, or Santa Claus. According to the modern legend, he is a magical figure who visits all the children of the world during the night before Christmas Day, leaving presents which they find the next morning. He flies through the night sky in a sledge pulled by reindeer, and enters houses by climbing down chimneys. This strange legend is based on the life of a man called Nicholas, but in fact we know very little about him. Historians think he was a Christian bishop(主教) in Turkey in about 285－350 A. D. One of the stories about him is that he helped three poor girls. No one would marry them because they were so poor. To provide them with money for their weddings, Nicholas secretly dropped some gold coins down the chimney of their house. After Nicholas died, he was made a saint(圣人) by the church. (The name Santa Claus thus comes from St Nicholas.) His feast day was celebrated in December, and parents started giving their children secret presents from St Nicholas. Over the years, this custom became part of our Christmas traditions.
Recently, a psychologist has claimed that Father Christmas is “the perfect fantasy” for children. According to Professor Anthony Clare, children love the character of Father Christmas because he is like an ideal father: he loves children and gives them presents, but he never criticizes them, is never angry, and children do not even need to thank him for the presents. Other writers, however, point out that Father Christmas can be a frightening character to some children. Jane Bidder says that some children are terrified of this fat, bearded old man. It can certainly confuse many children. As parents, we warn our children to be careful of strangers and never to let them into the house, and yet we tell children that a strange man will come into their bedroom at night! Some children can become very worried about this idea and fear that he is a kind of burglar.
Most children, however, understand from their parents and from the media that Father Christmas is basically a benign character, and look forward to his annual visit with joy and excitement.
46. The main point of the first paragraph is that ________.
A. Father Christmas is an important part of Christmas 
B. the tradition of Father Christmas is a modern idea
C. Father Christmas is a magical figure who can fly   
D. the legends about Father Christmas are not true
47. The writer mentions details such as Father Christmas’s sledge, the reindeer and the way he climbs down chimneys because he/she ____________.
A. wants to make it clear that these things are impossible   
B. is describing the history of St Nicholas   
C. wants everyone to believe that Father Christmas is real
D. is explaining the modern legend of Father Christmas
48. Why does the writer mention the story about St Nicholas helping three poor girls?
A. It shows us that historians know very little about him.
B. This story explains why parents give secret presents to children.
C. It supports the writer’s main point that Father Christmas is based on an untrue story.
D. This story explains why we celebrate Christmas in December.
49. In the last paragraph, the word “benign”means _________.
A. religious           B. friendly
C. frightening        D. unreal
50. The best title for this passage would be __________.
A. Is Father Christmas Dangerous?       B. The True History of St Nicholas
C. The Legend of Santa Claus       D. The Traditions of Christmas